1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to payout methods in a mechanical, an electro-mechanical and/or computer-based slot machine-like games-of-chance.
2. Background Description
To play a slot machine a player deposits money in the form of coins, gaming tokens or paper currency either into a coin head or bill acceptor. The coins and gaming tokens are collected in a reservoir inside the gaming machine while the paper currency is collected in the bill acceptor inside the gaming machine. If the coins, gaming tokens or paper currency are validated as authentic, the player accrues the appropriate number of playing credits on a credit meter. For example, a twenty-five cent gaming machine will accrue four credits for each dollar deposited into the gaming machine.
After accruing credits on the credit meter, the player determines how many credits he wishes to wager on the next spin of the slot reels. After setting the wager, the player spins the reels by pressing the spin button or by pulling a handle. When the reels stop spinning, symbols are displayed on the slot reels (xe2x80x9csymbol matrixxe2x80x9d). The player then collects credits for predetermined symbol combinations (xe2x80x9cwinning combinationsxe2x80x9d), if any, according to a pre-determined schedule (xe2x80x9cpay tablexe2x80x9d). More specifically, the standard slot machine operates as follows:
Symbol Matrix. Slot symbols are displayed on 3 or more slot reels (also called xe2x80x9ccolumnsxe2x80x9d) placed adjacent to each other. Each column contains at least 3 rows, with a symbol in each row. The resulting matrix of symbols (xe2x80x9csymbol matrixxe2x80x9d) typically ranges from 3 columns by 3 rows with 9 total symbols to 5 columns by 3 rows with 15 total symbols. Within the symbol matrix, positions on the slot reels may be referred to according to column, from left to right, and row, from the top to bottom (xe2x80x9csymbol positionsxe2x80x9d). For example: symbol position xc2xd is located in column 1 (i.e., left-most column) and row 2 (i.e., middle row).
Winning Combinations. Players collect credits for predetermined winning symbol combinations that appear in specific locations (xe2x80x9cpay linesxe2x80x9d) on the slot reels. Winning combinations typically require that three or more of the same symbols appear adjacent to each other starting from the leftmost position of a pay line (xe2x80x9cline paysxe2x80x9d). For example: a player may collect a line pay if 3 Banana symbols appeared in symbol positions 1/1, 2/1, 3/1 on a pay line using symbol positions 1/1, 2/1, 3/1, 4/1, and 5/1. Alternatively, players may also collect credits for predetermined winning combinations that appear anywhere on a pay line (xe2x80x9cline scatter paysxe2x80x9d) or anywhere on the slot reels (xe2x80x9creel scatter paysxe2x80x9d). For example, a player may collect a line scatter pay if 3 Banana symbols appeared in symbol positions 1/1, 3/1, 5/1 on a pay line using symbol positions 1/1, 2/1, 3/1, 4/1, and 5/1; and collect a reel scatter pay if 3 Banana symbols appeared anywhere on the slot reels.
Pay Table. Credits are awarded to the player for each winning symbol combination based on a predetermined schedule (xe2x80x9cpay tablexe2x80x9d). For line pays and line scatter pays, the number of credits wagered on the winning pay line multiplies the number of credits indicated by the pay table. For example, a player may wager two credits each on five pay lines, spin the reels, and collect twice the amount indicated on the pay table for a line pay or line scatter pay appearing on any of the five played pay lines. For reel scatter pays, the total number of credits wagered multiplies the number of credits indicated by the pay table. For example, a player may wager ten total credits, spin the reels, and collect ten times the amount indicated on the pay table for a reel scatter pay appearing on anywhere on the slot reels.
Following any type of pay (e.g., line pays, line scatter pays and reel scatter pays), the credits won are added to the player""s balance of credits shown in the credit meter. As long as the player has credits on the credit meter, the player may continue to play the gaming machine or the player may collect the remaining balance of credits by pressing a Cash Out button the gaming machine. In addition, the player may view the rules of the game by pressing the Help button before any spin.
A conventional slot machine issues awards according to the methods described above and exemplified by FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. FIG. 1, U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,053 to Crouch, entitled Multi-Line Gaming Machine, incorporated herein by reference, discloses a gaming machine 50 that has a display 51 on which an array of symbols is displayed. The array is typically 3 rowsxc3x975 columns. During a game the symbols displayed on the array are caused to change with a random result being obtained. The player of the machine makes a wager on the result and is paid a prize if one of a number of predetermined combinations of symbols are displayed on a line of the display 51 at the end of the game. The player may make multiple wagers on each game with each wager being assigned to a different one of a plurality of possible result lines. Typically, the number of possible result lines is greater than or equal to 9, and the lines to be employed in each game are selected by switches 54, prior to a game being initiated.
FIG. 2, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,053, shows a 3xc3x975 display 51 having 12 paylines, indicated by numerals 1 to 12i. FIG. 3, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,053, shows a 3xc3x975 display 51 having 27 paylines, indicated by numerals 1 to 27 on the Figure.
A conventional slot machine, therefore, limits players, casinos and manufacturers, as follows:
Players suffer from the boredom of playing xe2x80x9cnewxe2x80x9d games with different graphics, but really use same xe2x80x9coldxe2x80x9d awards;
Casinos suffer from the players"" dissatisfaction with the casino""s game selection as they cannot distinguish their game offerings from other casinos; and
Game manufacturers suffer declining orders as they cannot distinguish their product line from the other manufacturers.
It is an object of the present invention to address the limitations associated with conventional slot machines by creating additional and/or enhanced awards.
It is one feature and advantage of the present invention to provide a game that provides an award based upon the player""s selection of, for example, one or more symbols as wild symbols (xe2x80x9cSelect-A-Wildxe2x80x9d). The Select-A-Wild concept creates a slot game with a wider variety of awards which benefits all parties: the game manufacturer adds a unique product to their sales line; the casino attracts and retain players interested in playing an innovative slot game; and the player enjoys a new method of receiving an award. Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention are described below.
The present invention includes a variety of methods of play that can be programmed on an electronic video slot machine to enable the player to select one or more symbols as wild symbols (xe2x80x9cSelect-A-Wildxe2x80x9d) for one or more spins using one or more spin buttons for at least one game or set of games.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the Select-A-Wild concept allows the player to select the wild symbol every spin, as follows:
The game displays three spin buttons (other number of spin buttons may alternatively be used).
Each spin button is permanently associated with a symbol:
All of the associated symbols have matching symbols on the reel strips.
Each of the associated symbols have the same probability of appearing on the reel strips.
The player selects a wild symbol by pressing a spin button.
The symbol associated with the pressed spin button acts as a wild symbol for that spin:
Symbols on the reel strips matching the selected symbol replace any or all other symbols in determining winning outcomes.
Symbols on the reel strips matching the non-selected symbols are not wild, but do award line pays.
After each spin, the player receives awards for all winning combinations, including pays using the selected wild symbol.
For example: consider the numbers 1 to 9 to represent the symbol set; the numbers 7, 8, and 9 may be eligible to be selected as a wild symbol; and the player selects 8 as the wild symbol:             2              1              6              4              7                  5              5              8              3              5                  9              6              6              6              2      
The game awards credits for the winning symbol combination of 5-5-5 on pay line 1. Although pay line one display 5-5-8, the 8 symbol is wild and acts as a 5 symbol to make a 5-5-5 combination. Note that the 6-6-6 combination is not awarded in this example because the combination does not begin from the left most column.
Note that the player""s selection of wild symbols affects the game""s outcome. In the example above, if the player had selected the 9 as wild, the game would not have paid for the 5-5-8, but would have paid for the 9-6-6-6 combination on pay line 3.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention, therefore, offers a new xe2x80x9cvariablexe2x80x9d wild symbol that changes from spin to spin, with each selected wild symbol offering a different opportunity for an additional award.
Alternatively, the present invention allows for many alternative embodiments, including but not limited to the following:
Any number of wild symbols to select from. The present invention allows for offering any number of wild symbols to the player, from one to a plurality of symbols. The number of wild symbols offered may vary according one or more factors, such as amount of pay lines wagered upon, amount of the bet per line, amount of the total wager, any other factor, or randomly. For example, the player may select from 4 symbols for wagers below 20 credits and select from 6 symbols for wagers above 20 credits.
In addition, the number of symbols offered may differ from game machine to game machine. For example, one game machine may offer the player 3 wild symbols and another may offer 5 wild symbols. In addition, the number of wild symbols may also be a factor of the total number of symbols used in a game.
Any number of wild symbols selected. The present invention allows for selecting any number of wild symbols on each spin. The number of selected wild symbols may vary according one or more factors, such as amount of pay lines wagered upon, amount of bet per line, amount of the total wager, any other factor, or randomly. For example, the player may select 1 symbol (out of 3) on wagers below 20 credits and select 2 symbols (out of 5) for wagers above 20 credits.
In addition, the number of symbols selected may differ from game machine to game machine. For example, one game machine may allow the player to select 2 wild symbols and another may allow the player to select 4 wild symbols.
Any method of selecting wild symbols. The present invention allows for selection of wild symbols by the player, by a third party, and/or at random.
Any device for selecting wild symbols. The present invention allows for selection of wild symbols by any device, such as, buttons, virtual buttons, tabs, handles, touch screen, voice, sound, or other physical operation in predetermined and/or other locations.
Any frequency of selecting wild symbols. The present invention allows for any frequency of selecting wild symbols. For example, wild symbols may be selected each spin; every N-number or predetermined number of spins, with N as a constant integer value or a variable integer value; as optionally determined by wager level, award amounts, pre-determined symbol combinations; and/or optionally at random.
Any frequency of wild symbols on slot reels. The present invention allows for any frequency of the wild symbols on the slot reels, including equal frequency for all selected and/or displayed symbols and/or imbalanced frequencies for each of the symbols selected and/or displayed on the display. For example, one of the wild symbols may appear more frequently but result in a lower reward (e.g., 1X pay), while another wild symbol may appear less frequently but result in a higher reward (e.g., 5X pay). The present invention also optionally permits any range of symbol frequency in the entire symbol set.
Any use of wild symbols. The present invention allows for use of the selected wild symbols in any or all pays, including line pays, line scatter pays, reel scatter pays and/or any other form of pay. For example, wild symbols may be used to: replace a line pay symbol, but not replace a scatter pay symbol; replace a scatter pay symbol but not a line pay symbol; replace both scatter and line pay symbols, and the like.
Any award for wild symbols. The present invention allows selected wild symbols to optionally provide one or more types of awards, such as credits, free games, and/or bonus features and events. In addition, the same game may use multiple wild symbols, with each wild symbol possessing its own award type. For example, selected wild symbol 1 acts a wild symbol for all pays and multiplies the value of the winning combination by 5; wild symbol 2 acts a wild symbol for all pays and multiplies the value of the winning combination by 2; and wild symbol 3 just acts as a wild symbol for line pays.
Any method of indicating a wild symbol. The present method of the invention allows for any method of indicating a selected wild symbol to the player, e.g., the symbols for which the player has selected wild during the game. For example, the selected wild symbol may be advantageously highlighted above the symbol matrix and all matching symbols on the reel strips are marked with xe2x80x9cWildxe2x80x9d text.
Any location for display of wild symbols. The present invention allows for displaying the selected wild symbols in any location in the game""s display area or in a separate display area, such as displaying the selected wild symbol above or below the symbol matrix.
All of these alternative embodiments rely upon the underlying Select-A-Wild concept that enables the player to advantageously select one or more symbols as wild symbols (xe2x80x9cSelect-A-Wildxe2x80x9d) from the game symbol set or from a pre-designated set of wild symbols that may or may not be from the game symbol set.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other systems and methods for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.